Lawn mower



Feb. 8, 1944. F. WQWILDEBOOR ET AL 2,340,849

LAWN MOWER Filed Oct. 22, 1941 INVENTOR5.

Frank W Wf/defiaar Mary/ 7 A! flaay/wj/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 g l I LAWN mowsa Frank W. Wildeboor, Independence, and Marvin A. Doughty, Kansas City, Mo.

Application October 22, 1941, Serial No. 416,076

2 Claims.

most eflicient cutting of the grass isobtained when the cutting edge of the cutter bar is inverconventional mower, the cutting reel and bar are mounted between side plates which rotatably sup- 5 port traction wheels. Rearward extensions of the side plates carry a vertically adjustable roller. Vertical adjustment of the cutt n elements is obtained by raising or lowering the roller. Howere, lowering of the roller to raise the-cutting elements causes the cutter bar to move to a position rearwardly of the axis of the cutting reel.

As the cutting edge of the bar moves rearward'lyof the reel axis, the cutting action becomes progressively less eillcient. In this position of the cutting elements, the rotating knives move downwardly and contact the grass a substantial distance in advance of the cutter bar and a poor cutting action is obtained. Therefore, when the mower is adjusted to cut the grass relatively long, the cutter bar is disposed a substantial distance rearwardly of the reel axis and after the grass has been cut, the surface of the lawn is ragged and uneven.

An important object of our invention is to provide a lawn mower wherein the cutting elements may be vertically adjusted to maintain the cuttical alignment with the axis of the reel. In the ting edge of the cutter bar directly below the axis of the reel in all adjusted positions.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a lawn mower of the above mentioned character wherein the cutting elements may be adjusted by a single actuator.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a lawn mower of the above mentioned character that is simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture and eificient in operation.

. Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

-In the drawing forming a part of this specification and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying our invention, showing parts in section and parts in elevation for clearness of illustration,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, and s Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, which shows a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numerals l0 and l I designate side plates held in fixed spaced relation by a rod I 2. Each of the side plates'is formed with a centrally located hub in which the axle of a ground engaging traction wheel I4 is journaled. A cutting reel I6 is mounted for rotation between the side plates and the wheels are provided with internal ring gears I3 which mesh with pinions l5 at each end of the cutter reel spindle.

' The reel is of conventional shape and construction and is disposed eccentrically between the side plates in the conventional manner.

Essentially L-shaped supports l1 and i8 are pivotally mounted on the inner sides of the plates l0 and I l, by means of bosses l9 journaled in openings in the side plates. 7 The ends of the reel spindle extend through the bosses to position the pinions I! in mesh with the internal ring gears l3. Bearings 20, positioned adjacent the ends of the spindle, extend into sockets in the supports and provide a substantially frictionless mounting for the reel. The bosses I! may rotate within plate openings but are prevented from lateral movement by collars 2|. The reel spindle and rod l2 cooperate in holding the plates in fixed, spacedapart relation.

Referring to Fig. 2, the portions of supports and i8 pivoted at the reel spindle and extending rearwardly thereof are designated as Ila and I841. The vertical portions of the supports I! and I8 are designated as llb and lib. Rods 24 and 25, bridging the supports, rigidly hold the same in spaced relation. Mounted between members .I la and I So and below the cutting reel is a cutter bar 26 which cooperates with the knives oi the reel in cutting grass. The ends of the bar are provided with rearwardly extending brackets 26a. Adjusting screws 21 carried by lugs 28 furnish a means for adjusting the brackets. Rotation of the adjusting screws 21 raises or lowers the bar 26 relative to the knives of the cutting reel so that the cutting edge of the blade may be positioned to properly cooperate therewith.

Arms Nb and 18b of the supports have guideways 29 at their lower ends in which the vertical guide arms 30 of the supporting roller 3| are slidably mounted. Threaded studs 32 on guide arms 30 extend through slots 33 in the guideways and carry nuts whichhold the guide arms in the guideways. The nuts are normally loose so that the arms are freely slidable. If desired, however, the nuts may be tightened on the studs to securely hold the guide arms in the guideways.

In order to simultaneously adjust the supports 81 and I 8 we, attach an actuating lever 34 at each end of the rod 25. One of the levers is formed with an integral handle 35. The handle 35 carries a pawl 36 which meshes with rack 31 formed in the upper edge of the support. Thus, the lever 34 and its associated mechanism is held in any selected position. When pawl 38 is disengaged from the rack, the handle may be easily moved to rock levers 34. Ends 34a levers 34 are connected by links 38 to the guide arms 30 and the ends 34b thereof are connected by links 39 to rearward extensions of the side plates l0 and II. The mower is operated 'by a handle (not shown). The handle is attached to the mower by a fork one end of which is fragmentarily shown at 40 in Fig. 3.. It will be noted that the handle is attached to bosses 4| on the supports l1 and I8 instead of to the side plates as in the conventional manner.

The solid lines in Fig. 2 illustrate the reel and cutter bar in a lowered position and the dotted lines illustrate the cutting mechanism in a raised position. When the handle 35 is moved forwardly, the levers 34 rotate the side plates l0 and I! on the ground wheel axles and permit the supports to slide downwardly on the guide armsjll. In this position the cutting mechanism is disposed to cut the grass relatively shortby reason of its eccentric mounting on the side plates.

When the handle 35 is moved rearwardly to the dotted line position in Fig. 2, the levers 34, through links 39, rotate'th'e sideplates in an opposite direction and slide the supports I! and I8 upwardly on the guide arms 30. When the rearward extensions of side pletes ill and H are swung upwardly the ends Fla and "a of the eccentrically mounted supports l1 and I8 will be raised. There is a consequential movement of the members 11b and llb upwardly on the guide arms. Thus, the supports are raised vertically without tilting and the. cutting edge of bar 26 is at all times in vertical alignment with the axis of the reel. This makes for optimum cutting conditions as contrasted with the conventional manner of raising and lowering the cutting mechanism. In the dotted line position the cutting mechanism is raised to cut the grass relatively long. In all positions the pawl 38 will engage rack 31 and securely hold the parts against displacement.

Obviously, a number of intermediate adjust ments are provided by the teeth of the rack 31. In any adjusted position or the levers, the cutting edge of cutter bar 26 will be disposed in vertical alignment with the axis of the reel 22 and the knives of the reel will therefore contact the cutter bar in its most efficient cutting position.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement oi'parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the appended claiins. Having thus described our invention, we claim: 1. In a lawn mower having rotatable side plates, a cutting reel and bar assembly, means for adjusting the reel and bar assembly relative to the ground while maintaining the same in vertical relationship comprising supports pivoted to the side plates carrying the reel vand cutter bar, a roller having guide arms, guides on the supports in which the guide arms are slidably received, adjusting means carried by the supports and operatively connecting the side plates and the guides, said means being operative to simultaneously rotate the side plates and shii't the supports along the guide arms, the arrangement being such that the supports will be moved along the guide arms substantially equal to the distance that the pivots of the supports are vertically moved by the rotation of theside plates.

2. In a lawn mower having rotatable side plates and a cutting reel and bar assembly, means for adjusting the reel and bar assembly relative to the ground while maintaining the same in vertical relationship comprising supports eccentrically pivoted to theside plates and carrying the reel and cutter bar, a roller having guide arms, guides on the supports in which the guide arms are slidably received, adjusting means carried by the supports positioned rearwardly of the eccentric support pivots and operatively connecting the side plates and the guides, said means being operative to simultaneously rotate the side plates and shift the supports along the guide arms, the arrangement being such that the supports will be moved along the guide arms a distance sub-' stantially equal to the distance that the eccentric pivots of the supports are vertically moved by the rotation of the side plates. 

